Practice guide updates: PG19 and PG35
Notices, restrictions and protection of third-party interests (PG19) Page summary: How to apply for a notice or restriction to protect a third-party interest in an estate (practice guide 19). Change made: We have updated section 3.9.1 to reflect the change made to section 7.7 of practice guide 35, which has been updated to confirm when […]
Getting an early start on accurately calculating Stamp Duty can stop last minute issues with a transaction
We’ve all heard the old cliché about locking stable doors after the horse has bolted, but what if you haven’t even built the stable before your equine friend has vanished into the distance? That’s what it can feel like when you’re dealing with a property transaction and problems crop up at the last moment. That’s […]
Property sector sounds a note of caution with Renter’s Rights Bill
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook has suggested the Renter’s Rights Bill could be enacted “within the first half or around summer next year” following its introduction in Parliament on 11th September 2024. But property commentators have warned the reforms could impact the supply of private rental housing, and further burden the courts system. The Bill is […]
Rightmove rejects ‘opportunistic’ £5.6bn bid from Rupert Murdoch’s REA group
Rightmove has called out property listings group REA group for ‘fundamentally undervaluing’ them after the online property portal rejected an offer of £5.6billion. Australian owned REA, which is part of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, approached the company with an ‘unsolicited, highly conditional’ proposal – which according to their board was ‘opportunistic’. Based on REA’s closing […]
Number of sales agreed up by 27 per cent YoY – data reveals
The number of sales being agreed is up by 27% year on year, a “strong rebound” compared with last year’s more subdued market as pent-up buyer demand is released, according to Rightmove’s recent House Price Index. The number of potential buyers contacting agents is also up by 15% compared with this time last year. Buyer […]
HM Land Registry uses feedback to reduce search result wait times by ‘6,000 years’
HM Land Registry’s yearly Working Together report has shown an increase in applications, with 18,000 daily requests to update and change titles. The Land Registry have processed 56.6 million service requests and 4.26 million register change applications of which over 300K were fast-tracked within 10 working days. A total of 22 additional local authorities migrated […]
Natwest Group to join OPDA campaign
NatWest Group has joined the Open Property Data Association (OPDA) to support its drive to “radically improve” the homebuying process by sharing digital property information across the mortgage market. Currently, homebuying is taking on average 22 weeks to reach completion with less than one per cent of property information available digitally. NatWest Group is the […]
PBSA and BTR sectors tuning into investor demand for completed schemes
The Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) and Build to Rent (BTR) sectors are increasingly tuning into investor demand for completed schemes, according to UK rental guarantor service Housing Hand. Managing Director Graham Hayward explains: “The PBSA and BTR model is proven. Appetite from renters for high-quality homes with on-site amenities is strong and sustained, while development […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer: 16th September
I was out with some conveyancing colleagues on Friday evening. It was an enjoyable evening, an Awards evening. Now I find the whole area of awards in the workplace fascinating, as it seems to be the case that every profession or area of work has some form of awards. It is important to celebrate success […]
QualitySolicitors – The next chapter
As one of the disruptors in the wake of the Legal Services Act 2007 QualitySolicitors (QS) was launched in 2009 with the ambition to help the high street fight back against the anticipated onslaught of major brands entering the legal market – so-called ‘Tesco Law.’ QS grew rapidly, with firms up and down the country […]
